• Gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare the Ingredients

• If necessary, shuck and silk 2 ears sweet corn. Using a knife and cutting board (or large shallow bowl), cut the kernels from the corn cob, being careful not to cut too deep into the cob.
• Dice 1 cup sweet onion and 1/4 cup green bell pepper into small bits. Mince 3 tablespoons garlic.
• In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 6 cubes chicken bouillon + 6 cups water (or 6 cups chicken broth), and then reduce to a simmer, stirring to combine. You will keep the broth on simmer for the entire process of making this dish.

Saute the Vegetables

• In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter along with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the cut corn and green bell pepper. Season with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are crisp tender, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables from the pan and place in a bowl for use later.

Make the Soffritto

• In the same pan, melt another 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion and cook until tender, about 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add to this the garlic and cook for about a minute more, being careful not to let it brown.

Add the Rice

• Once the onion and garlic are tender, add 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice and cook on medium-low, stirring constantly until glossy and coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Make sure to stir to the edges of your pan to include every grain of rice.
When making Risotto, I like to use my wooden spurtle, which has a flat edge and reaches easily into the “corners” of a pan.
• Now add 1/2 cup dry white wine to the rice and stir until the alcohol is absorbed, about 1 minute.
When choosing a wine to use for this recipe, go with a dry white wine, and always use a wine that you enjoy drinking. If you are opposed to cooking with wine, simply omit this step, although it does give the dish wonderful flavor.
• Begin ladling in the chicken broth, about a cup at a time. Stir frequently until it is absorbed.
Frequent stirring dissolves the starch in the rice and produces the creaminess in Risotto. Once the broth is added to the rice, begin stirring, scraping the spurtle along the bottom and sides of the pan until the liquid has absorbed. Then repeat.
• Continue adding broth in this fashion until the rice has cooked to al dente and is creamy, approximately 20-25 minutes. Add broth, stir, cook, stir, and repeat. When you get close to al dente, you’ll want to reduce the amount of broth you add each time.
I like to start tasting the rice after 20 minutes to see how it is doing. For al dente, you want the rice to be tender, but firm to the bite. When it gets close to this stage, you will gradually reduce the amount of broth you add. Your finished risotto should be slightly moist, but not runny. You may or may not use up all the chicken broth.
• Once you’ve achieved al dente, stir in the prepared vegetables and remove from heat.

Final Steps - Mantecare

• For the finishing touch, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Swirl vigorously to combine. Taste and add more kosher salt or freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
If the risotto is too thick, you may thin it with a little bit of whole milk. I have never had to do this, but please know that it is okay to do if you need to!
• Add fresh basil to the dish for garnish. Serves 4-6.